Where is your footprint?

Many things we use everyday come from other parts of the world. This means that a part of your ‘footprint’ is in other countries. Try to find out where a part of your footprint is…

These questions give just a few examples:

Food

Do you eat meat? –Fodder for pigs, cows and chickens comes often from Brasil, USA, Thailand and many other places. Beef is often from Brasil or Argentina, chicken from southeast AsiaDo you eat cheese, do you drink milk or other things made from milk, do you eat eggs? – this also means fodder from the same countriesDo you eat fish? – Much fish is produced in Norway, Scotland, Chili (salmon), Alaska, Spain, Kenya (victoria perch), Vietnam (Tilapia) etc.Do you eat shrimps sometimes? –shrimps very often have been grown in fish farms in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam or other warm countries.Do you eat bread? – Most grain in the world is from USA or RussiaDo you eat veggies? –Veggies are often from not so far, but outside the season (like winter in Europe and Northern America), they come from warmer countries, or the other side of the world: tomatoes, green beans or broccoli from Spain or Israel, or Africa – or from Peru or other southern countries. Do you eat fruits? – Banana’s are from tropical countries, oranges from subtropical countries, Spain, Israel, southern USA, etc, kiwi from New Sealand, apples in May–July from South Africa or Australia. (often you can see on the box in the shop, where it comes from).Do you eat chocolads – Chocolad comes often from Ghana, or some other african country.

Clothes:

Cotton jeans – Cotton can be from USA, or Turkey, or other warm countries.
Woollen clothes: – much wool comes from Australia or New Sealand
Many different clothes and shoes 9of any kind of material) are manufactured in countries where people get low salaries, like China, vietnam, Malaysia, Bangla Desh etc.

Energy:

Natural gas – in Europe can be from russia, Norway, Netherlands

Coal for powerstations is produced in Russia, China, Poland,
Oil for gasoline in cars etc comes from many places: Saudi-Arabia, or Norway, Rusia, USA, and others

Maybe you can find others countries where your things come from.

Now you can make a list of places where your footprint is.

Make a print of the worldmap en place dots on places where part of your footprint is.

Now you can start thinking how you can make your footprint smaller and more sustainable.

Many products people in the USA and Europe use, come from regions where people have a much smaller footprint… Think about it.